Are you being tracked online? (infographic)

You’ve heard of spyware. You might even have anti-spyware and anti-malware programs installed on your computers and mobile devices. But that’s not stopping advertisers and companies from tracking your every move online. In fact, your personal data and profile are being sold pretty regularly. Your profile matches the target consumer of a company somewhere, and that company wants to know how people like you are behaving online. Why? So they can catch you where you’re hanging out and hit you with targeted advertisements that closely match your interests and lifestyle needs. The whole system has become so seamless that all this happens on auto-pilot. Advertisers use automated bidding, meaning those coveted advertising spots are assigned to the highest bidder the moment you click on a Website or conduct a search. If your browsing history includes multiple searches for cowboy boots, you’ll likely see ads for retailers selling cowboy boots. The concept is simple, the process is seamless, yet what goes on behind the scenes is a pretty complex and sophisticated tracking system. We’ve put together an infographic outlining how companies are tracking you online. Check it out below, and get in the know.